Commercial boss Steve Craig retires from Vango parent company AMG

Steve Craig, centre, with Stephen Newlands, left, and product director Glenn Andrews at the time of a management buyout in 2014

A longstanding boss of the company that owns major brand Vango has announced his retirement.

Steve Craig has stepped down as commercial director of the AMG Group, which also distributes brands such as Anatom, Teko, Lichfield and Wayfayrer.

He has been with the Port Glasgow-based company for 28 years.

Chief financial officer Shona Quigley, who joined the firm in March, will take over Mr Craig’s responsibilities.

Steve Craig said: “It seems like a lifetime ago I joined Vango, as it was then, and yet it also seems like yesterday; it’s been an exciting ride.

“I have been very fortunate to work closely with some great people over the years, I believe the best people in the industry, and I would like to thank them all for their support during my tenure.

“I look forward to seeing the team drive AMG to further success, but I am also looking forward to retirement. That said, I’ll miss the craic.”

The group’s chief executive Stephen Newlands said: “We are grateful to Steve for his innumerable contributions to AMG Group’s growth and success to date and wish him the happiest of retirements, undoubtedly most of which will be spent on the golf course.”

Ms Quigley added: “I am very excited to take on Steve’s role fully and develop the great business relationships that he has built over the years.

“We have a brilliant opportunity to continue growing the business and further diversify into new sectors, to match the demands and high expectations of our customers.”

The group celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016. The Vango brand came about because it was viewed by its founder Alastair Moodie that its existing name, McIlwraith and Co, was too hard for non-Scots to get their tongue around. He chose an anagram of the Glasgow district where the firm was based, Govan, for his new company.

The company, which also owns the Blacks of Greenock brand, can trace its roots back even further to 1847 when Thomas Black began manufacturing ship sails on the River Clyde.

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